# I just got gifted a Cuban, is it ok to smoke??



## Kalash (May 6, 2008)

My friend recently came back from the Navy and he brought home a box of Romeo y Julieta cigars. They were out of a humidor for...at least couple months. They are packed in aluminum tubes and they say Romeo No. 2. on them. They don't appear to have any beetle damage. I just put them in my coolidor for now. Are they going to be ok to smoke? 

Thanks

Jay


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## Texan in Mexico (Oct 29, 2007)

Good afternoon Jay,

What I would do is freeze it first just in case.

Let it sit a bit to recover and light it up!

Travis


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## hotreds (Dec 4, 2007)

Yes, just let 'em rest for about as long as they were out of ideal conditions. Try one in at least a month and see how it smokes. If good- go for it, if not, let 'em rest another week, etc.


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## Don Fernando (Jan 1, 2000)

I would not freeze them, I would open the tubes and let the smokes rest for a while (couple of weeks) in your humidor.


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## 68TriShield (May 15, 2006)

Smoke one!


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## ResIpsa (Mar 8, 2006)

Texan in Mexico said:


> What I would do is freeze it first...
> Travis





Don Fernando said:


> I would not freeze them....,





hotreds said:


> Yes, just let 'em rest for about as long as they were out of ideal conditions. Try one in at least a month....





68TriShield said:


> Smoke one!


Well, in the first four responses we seem to have covered all of the options! :r


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## Texan in Mexico (Oct 29, 2007)

Don Fernando said:


> I would not freeze them, I would open the tubes and let the smokes rest for a while (couple of weeks) in your humidor.


Just curiosity sake, why not freeze?


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## mike32312 (Jan 26, 2006)

ResIpsa said:


> Well, in the first four responses we seem to have covered all of the options! :r


One more option: send one to me for testing and I'll let you know. :r :r :r


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## Don Fernando (Jan 1, 2000)

Texan in Mexico said:


> Just curiosity sake, why not freeze?


no need to, they are already treated against beetles in Cuba.


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## Texan in Mexico (Oct 29, 2007)

Don Fernando said:


> no need to, they are already treated against beetles in Cuba.


Ok I hear you, my comment came from him saying they had been out of ideal conditions for a couple months.


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## O-Danger (Apr 26, 2008)

Don Fernando said:


> no need to, they are already treated against beetles in Cuba.


They may be treated for beetles in Cuba but from personal experience it is still best to give them all a once over. I went to Cuba this past febuary and the cigars bought on thier local market arn't frozen or at least not as long (the freezing process occurs before they are shipped out if my understanding is correct). Well I bought some samplers and singles at a LCDH (didn't commit on a box) and found that I had a montie with a beetle problem (tapped the foot and poop fell out...lots of beetle poop). So if you don't freeze them at least give them a tap on the foot to see if poop falls out (poop is all the same shape much different that tabbaco flakes). well that's my :2.

edit: I should add that I did not notice this till I returned home and that the cigars had spent a couple days in a hotel without air conditioning at temps north of 85F... perfect beetle conditions


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## SilverFox (Feb 19, 2008)

Don Fernando said:


> no need to, they are already treated against beetles in Cuba.


So where these


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## mikeyj23 (Feb 25, 2007)

mike32312 said:


> One more option: send one to me for testing and I'll let you know. :r :r :r


*N*:r *N*:r *N*:r


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## sanfrantreat (Jan 12, 2008)

I have to say the if the aluminum tubes were not opened before you got them the relative Rh should've held stable. So in theory they should smoke fine now! Give it a quick squeeze and determine if its good to smoke, and try one now.. and see..


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## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

Don Fernando said:


> no need to, they are already treated against beetles in Cuba.


Do you still believe in Santa Clause too?


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## Blueface (May 28, 2005)

ResIpsa said:


> Well, in the first four responses we seem to have covered all of the options! :r


:r:r:r


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## poker (Dec 11, 1997)

Most aluminum tubes are not 100% air tight & considering these were without humdification for at least a couple months, I would let them rest longer than 2 weeks as previously suggested. Personally I would freeze them and then let them rest for 2-3 months minimum. But thats just me.


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## pnoon (Jun 8, 2005)

poker said:


> Most aluminum tubes are not 100% air tight & considering these were without humdification for at least a couple months, I would let them rest longer than 2 weeks as previously suggested. Personally I would freeze them and then let them rest for 2-3 months minimum. But thats just me.



Yeah. What the hell do you know? 

Wise words, my friend. :tu


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## DennisP (May 13, 2007)

poker said:


> Most aluminum tubes are not 100% air tight & considering these were without humdification for at least a couple months, I would let them rest longer than 2 weeks as previously suggested. Personally I would freeze them and then let them rest for 2-3 months minimum. But thats just me.


:tpd: Best advice in this thread.


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## Don Fernando (Jan 1, 2000)

Mark THS said:


> Do you still believe in Santa Clause too?


say all you want, but I had and have several hundreds of Cubans, never froze them and never had a beetle problem.


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## eriksson20 (May 2, 2007)

Don Fernando said:


> say all you want, but I had and have several hundreds of Cubans, never froze them and never had a beetle problem.


:tpd::tpd::tpd:


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## ambientboy (Jun 10, 2007)

Smoke one to see...just the tip...just to see how it feels.


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## Kalash (May 6, 2008)

I think im gonna freeze em just to be safe...it cant hurt. They feel very hard also. How long should i freeze for?


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## rockyr (Aug 6, 2006)

Read up on freezing methods if you haven't already. If I remember correctly, double bag, refrigerate for a day, freeze for 2-3, refrigerate for another day to thaw slowly, room temp for a day, then into the humidor.


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## thebiglebowski (Dec 19, 2005)

Don Fernando said:


> say all you want, but I had and have several hundreds of Cubans, never froze them and never had a beetle problem.


don't worry, you will, sooner or later... :ss


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## tiptone (Jul 30, 2006)

Don Fernando said:


> say all you want, but I had and have several hundreds of Cubans, never froze them and never had a beetle problem.


If these cigars were stored in ideal conditions, as I assume yours are/were, then I would say there is no problem. Clearly from the description these weren't stored in ideal conditions. We know RH wasn't maintained and it's likely that temperature wasn't either. I'd say these particular cigars are a perfect candidate for freezing.


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## Mark THS (Feb 5, 2007)

Don Fernando said:


> say all you want, but I had and have several hundreds of Cubans, never froze them and never had a beetle problem.


IMO, I would chalk that up as as being fortunate. When the inconsistencies of almost every other aspect of cuban cigars are as widespread as they are, I wouldnt be all-trusting of their freezing practices.

Reminds me of a guy at work who says he doesnt need to wear a seatbelt because he's never been in an accident. :2 Its likely only a matter of time.


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## poker (Dec 11, 1997)

Trust me, all it takes is an outbreak in one box to go unnoticed for a short period of time. I lost 20+ boxes due to one outbreak a while back, many of which are now virtually unavailable to replace. Multiple full boxes of '98 Flor de Cano Coronas, and '99 H Upmann Club Epicures included, not to mention all my Davidoff and Dunhill singles.


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## BigVito (Jan 1, 2000)

It gets cold here, send them here I will "freeze" them


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## butterbeezy (Sep 12, 2007)

Don Fernando said:


> say all you want, but I had and have several hundreds of Cubans, never froze them and never had a beetle problem.


You just jinxed yourself :chk and never say never, it may bite you in the boo-boo one day :hn


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## Dux (Oct 4, 2006)

68TriShield said:


> Smoke one!


:ss smoke it and let us know how it went!! :ss


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## ironpeddler (May 3, 2008)

poker said:


> Trust me, all it takes is an outbreak in one box to go unnoticed for a short period of time. I lost 20+ boxes due to one outbreak a while back, many of which are now virtually unavailable to replace. Multiple full boxes of '98 Flor de Cano Coronas, and '99 H Upmann Club Epicures included, not to mention all my Davidoff and Dunhill singles.


I read that and just turtled!

Why not freeze?...no harm, no foul......then I would let them sit in your humi for 4-6 months before I would consider them whole again...smoking one every so often to see if it's to your liking....what's the hurry?


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